Women from Bin-Per community in Ruff, Kombun District of Mangu Local Government Area, Plateau State, on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest over the killing of 24 residents by gunmen.
The women marched through the community holding leaves and calling for urgent government action to protect residents and prevent further attacks.
The protest followed an overnight attack in which armed men reportedly invaded homes and killed residents.
One of the protesters, Mrs Ladi Joshua, said the women were devastated by the loss of their husbands, children, relatives and other members of the community.
Meanwhile, 24 victims of the attack have been buried in a mass burial, while several others who sustained injuries are receiving treatment in hospitals.
President of the Mwaghavul Youth Movement, Kyesmang Jonathan, disclosed this while speaking at the burial mass conducted for the victims on Tuesday.
Jonathan condemned the killings and described the incident as a painful loss to the community. He called on the government and security agencies to take urgent measures to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further loss of lives.
He also urged authorities to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the attack, while sympathising with the families of the deceased, injured persons and residents displaced by the incident.
The Plateau State scribe of the African Democratic Congress, Jude Eli Dakur, also condemned the attack, describing it as “barbaric, senseless and unacceptable.”
Dakur expressed concern over the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes, farmlands and other property belonging to residents.
He called on security agencies to immediately identify and arrest the perpetrators, while urging them to strengthen intelligence gathering and surveillance in vulnerable communities across Mangu and other parts of Plateau State.
Dakur also called for the deployment of adequate security personnel and the establishment of effective rapid-response mechanisms to enable security agencies respond quickly to distress calls.
He urged the Federal Government, Plateau State Government and security agencies to work together to strengthen security and restore confidence among residents.